School Environment as a Factor of Actualization / Minimization of Adolescents’ Risky Behaviour (According to the Survey of Lviv Region Students)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the connection between the school environment and the manifestations of students’ risky behaviour and their mental health. The study is actual due to the spread of students' risky behaviour in Ukraine and insufficient attention of Ukrainian sociologists to the relationship of educational institutions with the health of community. The authors of the article substantiate the relationship between the characteristics of the school environment and student behaviour and emphasise that the positive school climate is a significant factor in reducing various manifestations of students’ risky behaviour. The authors define “school climate” as a qualitative characteristic of relations between teachers, between students, and between teachers and students, a set of psychological, moral and social conditions that promote or inhibit productive joint activities of school staff, and actualize or minimize socially acceptable or destructive behaviour of youth; “risky behavior” – as a problem or antisocial behaviour manifested as aggression, violence, deviances, crimes, taking psychotropic substances. The empirical basis of the study includes the results of the Ukrainian-Polish survey “Mental Health and Risky Behaviour of Adolescents”, conducted in October – December 2016 among adolescents from Ukraine and Poland, based on the methodology of Polish study on adolescents’ mental health that is more commonly known as the Mokotow Study and has been regularly conducted since the late 1980s. Based on the research results, the authors analyse various aspects of school relationship that influence the school psychological climate. The authors draw particular attention to students' trust to each other, their readiness to help others in problem-solving, providing psychological support as well as the respondents' attitudes towards their school and the way they feel in the school environment. In the obtained data, there prevail respondents' positive evaluation of the school climate. The authors present a correlation analysis that proves a positive relationship between the school climate and students' risky behaviour. The logical regression analysis also shows its influence on the minimising/actualising of students' risky behaviour. The authors demonstrate the decisive role of the family, in particular, children-parents relationship. In conclusion, they formulate the scope of objectives and tasks for the organisation of preventive work in the school and the family.